The Lion and the Serpent
by Theoretical-Optimist
Summary: "And never since the founders four were whittled down to three have the Houses been united as they once were meant to be" - The Sorting Hat 1995. Written for Round 8 of The Houses Competition


House: Gryffindor

Category: Themed

Prompt: "If you think for one second that I'm going to back down"

Word Count: 909

Beta: Kurotsuba Thanks Tsu!

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"Do be reasonable, Salazar," urged Godric as he walked briskly through the courtyard. He had grown tired of having this same old argument every summer before owls were sent to the new batch of eleven-year-old witches and wizards. "If we do not allow muggle-borns to be educated at Hogwarts, they will never be properly trained. Their magic will be wild and unpredictable."

"Pfft," Salazar snorted. "They should not have magic at all. They are untrustworthy and undeserving. Allowing muddy-blooded scums into Hogwarts will lead to its demise. They will infiltrate and destroy all our fine work. Mark my words!"

"How will they accomplish that, precisely? Give me one concrete example to support your insane ramblings!"

They had been over this again and again. Salazar failed to offer any actual proof of his claims that muggle-borns would bring about the end of Hogwarts.

"They lack the requisite knowledge required for magical prowess! There is no possible way a mudblood will be as prepared as a student who has been raised in a wizarding family. They will fail because they do not belong. I am doing them a small mercy by simply banning them from the castle."

"That is what you call mercy?!"

"If I had it my way, we would kill the abominations in their cribs as soon as the quill Rowena bewitched to report magical births records their names. Their very existence is an insult to magic itself."

Godric halted under the great stone archway that served as the entrance to Hogwarts. He leaned against one of the four giant columns and sighed, "Rowena bewitched that quill for the express purpose of finding muggle-born students so that they can come to Hogwarts. Whether you like it or not, they possess magical ability and are welcome here. Rowena and Helga agree with me on this."

Godric had been tasked by the female founders to confront Salazar. The witches had grown tired of the elder wizard's attitude. Sweet Helga was willing to welcome any loyal, patient, and fair student into her house. Fair Rowena valued creativity and wisdom. Godric wanted students who were brave and daring, regardless of their heritage. But Salazar refused to recognize that muggle-borns could be just as ambitious, cunning, and resourceful as any pure-blood.

Their contrasting beliefs regarding muggle-born worthiness had created a rift: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw in solidarity; Slytherin in opposition. Godric feared that if Salazar did not relinquish his views of blood-purity now, their differences would become insurmountable.

"Of course they do," Salazar sneered. "Helga just wants everyone to be friends, and Rowena only cares about the pursuit of knowledge. Like you, they refuse to recognize the danger these foreigners pose to our world. I will not be part of educating these riffraff. No student of impure blood will ever infest my house as long as I am here!"

Godric tried to reason with him. "Salazar-"

"NO! If you think for one second that I'm going to back down, you are wrong, Godric," he hissed. "I will not stand by and watch our noble work corrupted by those who are unworthy! Can you not see what muggles do to each other? They are killers and rapists, and they are coming into our world. They are stealing our magic and tainting our bloodlines. And you are turning a blind eye! I cannot remain at Hogwarts-"

"-THEN LEAVE!" roared Godric. "Perhaps you are the one who no longer belongs at Hogwarts. You refuse to see that the world is changing. The four of us founded this school on the principle that magic is a skill that can and should be crafted and honed through proper education. Your prejudices have made you lose sight of that goal. Muggle-borns are just as worthy as any other student. If any young witch or wizard wishes to learn, they will always be welcome."

Godric paused and looked to his old friend. Over the years, Salazar had become increasingly paranoid about muggle-borns. His xenophobia was affecting his judgment and the school was suffering because of it. Godric knew now that Salazar would never be able accept that muggle-borns came by their magic naturally and were just as capable as those of so-called "pure-blood".

"You would force me out in favor of those... those mudbloods?!" Salazar hissed. He drew his wand and sent a curse towards Godric. The red-haired man easily dodged the spell and returned with a hex of his own. The castle braced for impact. And so began the duel that ended the unity of Hogwarts.

When the dust settled, the lion-hearted Gryffindor was the winner. But it was a hollow victory. The courtyard was left in ruins and the walls of the magnificent castle ached from the intensity of the battle. One of the pillars holding up the archway had cracked and crumbled under the pressure of the melee, leaving the structure off-balance.

Soon after, the serpentine Slytherin left the school in turmoil. Godric, Helga, and Rowena lived out their years at the school they had built together. Salazar disappeared into the winds but the blood superiority views he had clung to lived on in his house for centuries. The inter-house competition between Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff was fierce, but the animosity between the lions and the serpents festered and raged for the next thousand years.


End file.
